Black Christmas (1974)

AKA:
Directed by: Bob Clark
Starring: Olivia Hussey(Jessica), Keir Dullea (Peter Symthe), John Saxon (Lt. Kenneth Fuller), Margot Kidder (Barbara), Andrea Martin (Phyllis), Marian Waldman (Mrs. Mac), James Edmond (Mr. Harrison), Lynne Griffin (Clare), Douglas McGrath (Sgt Nash)
Country: Canada; Effed Up Canadian Films
Language: English (Optional Eng Subs)
Runtime: 01:37:49
Genres: Killer, Stalking-related

Plot – Massive Spoilers:
A group of girls who live together are having a Christmas party when they begin receiving weird phone calls that range from the vulgar to mad as the night wears on. They also get killed off one by one.

The central characters are Jess and her musician boyfriend Peter. Jess is pregnant and with her normal earnest face tells him she will be aborting and also dumping him. And Peter seemingly justifies her decision by taking it badly and stalking the house. There’s also the dad of one of the missing girls, a funny-looking man who talks little but has an extended role that doesn’t justify his contributions. The other girls range from boring despite their best attempts to entertain to just being naturally boring. The most hauntingly memorable of them in fact, is probably the first girl and her cellophane-wrapped open-mouthed look. Or the useless cat Claude that leads some of them to their deaths but makes up for it by being part of another memorable moment as it licks the cellophane.

All that said, the above is when you’re being a little bitch about a movie from the ’70s. And in hindsight.

In reality, Black Christmas is often credited as being one of the earliest slashers, having contributed so many of the tropes. Including leaving the identity/death of the killer in doubt at the end.